Lucknow: In a significant move to strengthen maternal and child health surveillance and address gender disparity in birth records, the Lucknow health administration has mandated private hospitals to report detailed childbirth data through the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS).
This development follows a directive from Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, who, during a recent meeting at Raj Bhavan, stressed the need for accurate and comprehensive data collection from all childbirths, particularly in the private healthcare sector.
“Private hospitals are now required to report the exact number of childbirths and maternity-related activities through the HMIS portal,” said Yogesh Raghuwanshi, District Health and Education Information Officer (DHEIO), on Wednesday.
According to the Hindustan Times, this initiative is part of a broader strategy to improve transparency in maternal and child health indicators and to curb potential gender biases, such as unreported female births.
The health department has begun generating HMIS login credentials for all private hospitals in the district. Several hospitals have already received access and started uploading data. The rest are expected to comply soon.
To ensure full participation, the district health office held a compliance meeting with representatives of around 75 private hospitals in Lucknow. Officials urged them to report every delivery case, including detailed records of:
- Immunisation of newborns and mothers
- Family planning counselling or services provided
- Follow-up care post-delivery
The move is expected to enhance data-driven policy planning, improve maternal and neonatal outcomes, and detect anomalies in sex ratio trends in real time.
The administration has warned of strict monitoring and follow-ups to ensure that no case goes unreported, aligning with broader national efforts under programs like RMNCH+A and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
